Director James Cameron's adventure fantasy "Avatar" has made its way from the big screen to the exhibit halls of Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, offering visitors a hands-on escape to the beauty of Pandora — the imagined land in which the film is set.

The exhibit opens to the public Saturday, marking its first stop in North America.
Rich in themes of redemption, discovery, love and heroism, "Avatar" is the highest-grossing film of all time, having raked in an estimated $2.8 billion worldwide.

"Fans of the film and those yet to see it will be amazed by the many ways science and technology contributed to its success," says Paul Hoffman, president and CEO of Liberty Science Center.

The exhibit boasts technology used by Cameron during the filming process. One of the main attractions is the hand-held monitor (much like a virtual camera), which visitors can use to direct a scene. And regardless of their age, few can visit the exhibit without taking the opportunity to create an avatar. The Performance Capture Interactive allows guests to render themselves as animated avatars and then e-mail a copy to themselves as a souvenir.

Visitors can hear and learn terms from the Na'vi language such as "I'm sorry," "Thank you" and "I love you." Through a sound mixing station, they also can witness how sounds were created for the film. Cameron mixed animal sounds to convey the imagined characters. To create a convincing viperwolf character, for instance, he combined the aggressive sounds of a snake, a hyena and a coyote. To create a convincing banshee, he used noises from a baby piglet combined with those of a horse.

You don't need to have seen the film to appreciate all the exhibit has to offer. And if you do wish to catch it before visiting the exhibit, LSC is screening it in 3-D from tomorrow to Feb. 23 (excluding Thursday).

The exhibit attempts to fully immerse guests into the land of Pandora, in part, by making use of bioluminescence, since most of its life forms glow in the dark. As you travel through purple hues in the exhibit, you are met by underwater jellyfish and dandelion seeds in an interactive wall on which you can trace your silhouette. Each motion sets the mood for being on Pandora.

Exhibit developer Andrew Prasarn says Cameron often finds inspiration from his own travels and incorporated these jellyfish into the landscape following some of his underwater adventures.

Among the most daunting tasks for Cameron and his design staff was achieving the relatability of the Na'vi characters -- the human hybrids that appear in the movie.
"There's a lot of work that goes in to creating an alien character that you can trust and relate to," Prasarn says. "They need to look alien, but not bizarre. They have to be familiar and foreign at the same time."

Witnessing firsthand the progression of the Na'vi helps one to better appreciate the craftsmanship of the character. What began as a sketch drawn by Cameron grew into three blue handmade sculpted models. Some of the sketches and head models that were later transformed digitally are on display. There is also a size 17½ shoe fit for the 9-foot-7 silhouette of the average Na'vi male.

"Avatar" proved successful due to more than just its story line. The marriage of science and technology helped Cameron create a convincing new universe.

"There are digital films where characters can feel wooden," Prasarn says. "This film goes one step further in detail and execution, and in the end, viewers can feel it. It comes off more natural."

Avatar: The ExhibitionWhere: Liberty Science Center,
Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey CityWhen: Tomorrow through May 19,
with screenings of the movie in 3-D from tomorrow to Feb. 23 (excluding Thursday) at 5 p.m.How much: $23.25 ($18 for children ages 2 to 12 and seniors) for museum admission, including the exhibit and movie; $16.75 ($12.50 for children 2 to 12 and seniors) for the exhibit only; $10 ($8 for children 2 to 12 and seniors) for the movie only. Call (201) 200-1000
or visit lsc.org.